Helping the Grieving, Part 1

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. – Romans 12:15

According to Paul, part of God’s will for your life is that you learn empathy. We are to rejoice with others when good things come their way. But we are also to grieve alongside them when the dark times come. Notice that Paul didn’t say we are to comfort them? That’s because comforting them would be in large part impossible.

There is no easy way to help. There are no clear-cut, three-step answers. There is no pill that can be taken, nor wonderful counsel that can be given that will suddenly cause the grieving to say “AH! I see!” and immediately feel better. But there are some things you can do to help the process.

Understand that there is nothing you can say. Simply be with them, give them your physical presence. Hug them, hold their hand and say the only thing that can be said. “I’m sorry you’re suffering. I love you.”

Cry with them. Shoulder a small part of the grief with them. Empathize. Let them know that it’s all right – they don’t have to be strong.

Do not use platitudes. Never say “I know how you feel.” Never try to compare your sufferings with theirs. Even if you too have lost someone, it’s never exactly the same. Besides, even if it was, there is no point in trying to minimize how they feel.

Be very cautious about appealing to “God’s will.” You don’t know what God’s will in this matter is. And even if you did recognize the clear hand of God in it, you don’t know why He’s doing what He’s doing.

Don’t “look for the bright side.” Don’t try to remind them of the good things they have going on in their lives. Allow them to grieve this loss without burdening them with the responsibility of wisdom and strength.

Patiently listen as they rage against the pain. They will say the same things over and over again. This is because their mind is trying to find a way to cope – a way to understand what has happened to them. Sit quietly and listen without holding their more wild statements against them.

Be patient with their vacillation. They will want to be alone, but they will not be able to stand being alone. They will suddenly calm down and then just as suddenly break into heaving sobs. This is all perfectly normal and, with time, will level out. Just ride the storms with them.

Ask questions. If something they’re saying is unclear or possibly suicidal, gently probe to determine what they mean. Don’t perform a psychological autopsy. Don’t analyze too heavily. Just make sure they know you’re listening.

Being a Christian is about more than merely making it to heaven. It’s about becoming Christ-like. And when Jesus saw others grieving, before he taught, before he raised the dead, before anything else…Jesus wept.

Wanting to Want

Even when you do ask, you don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong – you want only what will give you pleasure. - James 4:3

One of the toughest areas of prayer is introspection – looking deep into my heart and trying to determine what are my motives. Jeremiah 17:9 says “The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” If you are a Christian wife and are praying for your husband’s salvation, why are you praying? Is it really to see him come to know the Lord, or is it because your life would be so much easier if he were saved and pulling with you instead of against you? If you are struggling with difficult circumstances, are you praying to be delivered? Why? Would you want God to be glorified by your deliverance, or are you just tired of hurting? When you pray publicly for the salvation of the world, is it because it is heavy on your heart or because that’s what you’re supposed to pray for? You can tell which it is by how much time you spend after praying actually trying to bring it about. How often have you witnessed?

Do you see what I mean? There was a time in my life when I prayed daily with a small group of men. We purposed that we would be absolutely, brutally honest with each other and with God. We vowed to actually pray. We did not want to just meet in a room to mutter some words for a given amount of time. We discovered that it sometimes took forty-five minutes just to get our minds to quit thinking about all the stuff in our lives and focus on praying. Then it took several attempts at prayer before we felt we were praying to God rather than to each other. I remember praying once “God, help me want to want to open my heart to you.” I had come to realize that my motives were so twisted I couldn’t even figure out if I really wanted to pray and meet God. After a while, it took less time to reach that point of contact. We were able to more quickly achieve the focused awareness that is so necessary to prayer and meditation as our minds became more disciplined. This is what Paul was talking about in 2 Corinthians 10:5 when he referred to “fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ" (The Message).

So take some time to quiet your heart; still your mind from the day’s activities. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct your thoughts to whatever might keep you from being fully reconciled with God. Check out your heart longings, your motives and impulses. Try to bring them into subjection to Christ’s will. Then step back and watch God do amazing things.

Abhir – The Mighty One

He has been attacked by archers, who shot at him and harassed him. But his bow remained strong, and his arms were strengthened by the Mighty One of Jacob (in Hebrew Abhir), the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. May the God of your ancestors help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the earth beneath, and blessings of the breasts and womb. May the blessings of your ancestors be greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains, reaching to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills. – Genesis 49:23-26

Talk about tough circumstances! Have you ever considered Joseph’s life? God gave him great prophetic dreams and, being young and not particularly savvy, he shared them with his family. His brothers were driven to a jealous rage and at first, wanted to kill him. They eventually decided to sell Joseph into slavery and exile. Then they faked his death so that the rest of the family gave him up for dead. No rescue was possible.

Then his master had a libidinous wife who tried to get handsome Joseph into bed. When he refused, she framed him and he ended up in jail. He did what he was told, got a position of responsibility, and helped and comforted a prisoner. In return, the man promptly forgot all about Joseph when he got out of jail, leaving Joseph in the dank dungeons for a couple more years. The former prisoner only remembered Joseph when he NEEDED him. Joseph helped out the Pharaoh and ended up being the second in command of the whole kingdom of Egypt. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But as he came into his position of power, Egypt headed for a seven year famine, and his job was to keep everything running smoothly! What a load!

He was diligent though, and got Egypt through the famine. In the process, his brothers came looking for food. After some initial testing, they had a family reunion and Joseph moved his whole family to Egypt to a fertile valley and a fairly high status. Years later, his dad pronounced on Joseph the deathbed blessing we just read.

Joseph was attacked by the archers of envy, hatred, temptation, persecution, neglect, ingratitude, doubt and fear. But it says “his bow remained strong and his arms were strengthened.” Joseph didn’t do it. Abhir did. Notice that Abhir (Hebrew for “Mighty One”) did not keep Joseph from the difficulties of life. Instead, Abhir strengthened Joseph through it all.

Because Joseph was willing to go through whatever God sent his way, he found strength and blessing above and beyond all the blessings his ancestors had known. Who were his ancestors? Well, Abraham for one. I don’t know about you, but I would consider Abraham blessed. The source of blessing; the source of strength and power; the source of hope in a cruel and indifferent world is Abhir – the Mighty One of Israel.

Yahweh Nissi - “The Lord Our Banner"

Moses built an altar there and called it “The Lord Is My Banner.” (Yahweh Nissi) Exodus 17:15

The Amaleks made war against the Israelites. Moses told Joshua to lead the battle. Meanwhile, he was going to climb a hill that overlooked the valley and pray.

When Moses prayed, he held his hands up and looked up to God as a sign of adoration and praise. But Moses was an old man and he grew tired. Aaron and Hur noticed that when Moses had his hands up, the Israelites were winning the battle. When his hands came down, they were losing. So, they brought a rock Moses could sit on. Then Aaron got on one side and Hur on the other and they held Moses’ hands up. Moses kept praying and Joshua won the battle. When it was all over, God told Moses to make sure Joshua knew what had happened and where his conquering power came from. So Moses built an altar he called "Yahweh Nissi", which means “God is our banner.”

When armies go into war, somebody carries the battle flag and they never want that flag to hit the ground. If the person carrying the battle flag gets wounded or shot, somebody else picks it up. That flag is the symbol of their unity and their purpose. Moses was saying God serves that same purpose.

We must remember that God is our banner, binding us together in unity. He is the strength that allows us to carry the day. He is the one that does what we cannot do. When we're overwhelmed, He's not. We may feel ambushed by life, but He remains unsurprised. He's aware of what needs to happen in our lives and He is working on it.

However, in both ministry and personal spiritual struggles, we have a responsibility to do something. We must not simply sit and wait for God to do everything. We need to be engaged; we need to be active. Joshua was out in the battle, doing something. Moses was doing something. Aaron and Hur were doing something.

Are you struggling with anxiety? You can feel it . . . you get upset . . . you need to be in control, but you’re not. What is it that you need God to do in your life? Where are you struggling? Is it at work? Is it with your spouse? Is it with your children? You are in the battle and you may feel alone, but you are not. God know the struggles you have and your need to be whole. He wants to be your Yahweh Nissi - your banner. Will you let Him?

El Elyon (God Most High)

How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, “I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.” But instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. - Isaiah 14:12-15

The Devil used to be an angel. In Ezekiel 28, we read that he was the perfection of wisdom and beauty, clothed in jewels set in a matrix of the finest gold. He was a mighty, angelic guardian with access to the holy mountain of God. But his beauty, wisdom, talent and position got the better of him. He decided that it wasn’t enough to be LIKE God. He wanted to BE God.

In that moment of sublime stupidity, Lucifer (his old name means “light bearer”) infected other angels and all together, one-third of the heavenly host ended up being cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:4). Yet, the Devil still gets to visit every once in a while. In Job 1:6, we see that he periodically is called back to report to El Elyon (God Most High). He gets to converse with God Himself! We also know that Satan (his new name means “adversary”) knows the Scriptures. After all, didn’t he try to misquote them to the Lord in the wilderness?

So why would this incredibly ancient, wise, powerful creature who has actually lived in the presence of God, conversed with God and knows the Word of God rebel? Or, even if he rebelled, why would he continue in an obviously hopeless war? Why not simply give in and repent? Knowing the Word of God, he tried to get Herod to kill Jesus in His childhood. Understanding the implications of Immanuel (God With Us), he tried to drown Christ in the Sea of Galilee before the Lord could make it to the cross. The Devil knew the prophecies. He knew what Christ was here to do. Presumably, he’s read the whole Book and knows the end (Rom. 16:20). So, why does he persist in his sin?

Perhaps he is so wrapped up in his own bitterness that he doesn’t care what the consequences are; he doesn’t care what the Bible says – he’s going to do what he wants.

“Isn’t that the height of folly?” you may ask. Yes, you are right. But let me ask you something, friend, are you so very different? Do you know what the Bible says about a certain issue but still insist on your sin? Are you placing your opinion above El Elyon’s? Maybe you and the Devil have more in common than you think!

Chaparral Christians

It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. – Matthew 20:26-28

Long before humans began building mini-marts, 7-11s and parking lots, much of the Sierra forest was open and park-like. Huge tracts of sequoias towered over the land. Occasionally a fire would go through, clearing out the underbrush. Not only would the fire clean up the area, certain plants relied on forest fires to disseminate and germinate.

We have learned that some plant species, such as chaparral, are so fire-dependent that they can only germinate in its presence. These plants don’t become set in any given location. As a fire blazes, they spread and germinate, but as they grow, they create conditions that are favorable for the more popular and larger trees. They basically work themselves out of an environment. Giant sequoias tend to seed in areas where chaparral is abundant, even if it is not an area that would normally be conducive to a sequoias’ growth. Chaparral will grow in the burnt out area, creating a shady, humid area while keeping erosion at bay and then after about thirty years, other trees and bushes start growing again until the chaparral is pushed aside to wait for another fire.

I want to be a chaparral Christian. I want to go into those areas that everyone else fears and start gently restoring things to working order. I want God to call me to work in the burnt out lives of men and women who think there is no hope and demonstrate that it is precisely in these kinds of areas that Christianity thrives. I want to work so hard at discipling these broken people that they outgrow me and there comes a time when I must step aside so that they can take over.

I hope that my spiritual seed will always be dependent on the fire of the Holy Spirit to take root. I hope that His burning, cleansing presence will periodically sweep through my environment and destroy all the kudzu, weeds and the underbrush that life seems to keep piling up in my life (Hebrews 12:1).

Fire enlightens. It casts its flickering radiance, not in the cold and harsh brightness of modern tubes and bulbs, but in the warm effulgence that causes the eyes to gaze and the mind to meditate. Fire reveals flaws. Watch the cracks in wood reveal themselves within minutes of being in a flame’s presence and think about the role of confession in prayer. Our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

Let your life be so wrapped up in His that you cannot imagine existence otherwise. So lose yourself in His service that you delight in everyone’s advancement, even if it means your demise. Be a chaparral Christian.

The Salt Doll

I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me…I told them what you are like, and I will tell them even more. Then the love that you have for me will become part of them, and I will be one with them. - John 17:21, 26

A little salt doll decided she wanted to see the wonders of the world and set out on a journey. At last, she came to the edge of the ocean. “What are you?” she cried.

“Touch me and you will find out,” answered the sea.

Timidly, she dipped in her toe and experienced a wonderful feeling. But when she withdrew her foot, her toe had disappeared. “What have you done to me?” she exclaimed.

The sea responded, “You have to give something of yourself in order to be able to understand.”

The salt doll decided that if she truly wanted to understand the sea, she would have to give more of herself. So she stuck in her whole foot, and everything up to her ankle disappeared. But amazingly she didn’t mind. In fact, the experience merely encouraged her to continue on. She stepped further and further into the sea, losing more and more of herself, and with each step she understood the sea more fully, more deeply. As the last piece of her dissolved into that briny water, the salt doll was able to think; “Now I know what the sea is. It is I.”

Many of us seek unity with the transcendent. Witness the prevalence of religious material that can be found: Eastern, Wicca, New Age, Muslim, Judaic, and Buddhist. All these try to teach us various methods to achieve that golden fleece - the ecstasy of oneness with God. Some even seek that sense of intimacy and transcendence in sex, drugs or alcohol.

But Jesus taught us two thousand years ago that we could not be His disciples without a cost. You must spend something of yourself in order to truly understand what it means to see the world through His eyes. You must partake of His nature. It must consume you until your “self” disappears – until your ego wastes away in the flames of His presence. It starts with simple submission to the lordship, the sovereignty of Christ in your life. It is manifested by many works of grace in your life: responsible stewardship of His ecosystem, care for the weak and elderly, freeing those unjustly imprisoned, feeding the hungry, parenting the fatherless…All of these are signs that an internal flame has been ignited by the Holy Spirit. Then and only then can you take your last breath and whisper, “Ah! Now I know what Christ is…for I see Him as He is and we are truly one.”

'Attiq Yomin - The Ancient One

As I watched, this horn (the antichrist) was waging war against the holy people and was defeating them, until the Ancient One (‘Attiq Yomin) came and judged in favor of the holy people of the Most High. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom. - Daniel 7:21-22

The funeral of King Louis XIV was held in a great cathedral that was dark except for one candle placed on top of the golden casket containing Louis’ remains. At the appointed time, Massillon, the court preacher addressed the assembly. He arose, walked to the candle and snuffed it out. Then in the darkness he declared, “ONLY God IS GREAT!”

When we consider the fact that God has always existed, for all time and eternity past, the title “Ancient One” or “Ancient of Days” becomes almost humorous. He watches the sands of time accumulate over the works of man. He witnesses civilizations rise and fall. He listens to the grinding of continental plates as they form mountains. He keeps track as stars are created, burn through their fuel and die. The universe is a grain of sand to Him. The Bible puts it this way: For you, a thousand years are as yesterday! They are like a few hours! You sweep people away like dreams that disappear or like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. (Psalm 90:4-6).

And yet with His vast view and ancient perspective, ‘Attiq Yomin, The Ancient One still cares for us! He watches as tragedies occur, He keeps note of man’s inhumanity to man and makes sure that in the end a reckoning is rendered, and justice comes due. He answers our prayers and guides the course of history. We have a God who is intimately involved in our world, in our history. He cares about what happens to us.

The Bible tells us that God is too great and too vast to be contained by the universe itself. “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you” (1 Kings 8:27). Yet He has chosen to live within the hearts of men. Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)

In a large city in Sri Lanka, there is a huge statue of Buddah in a reclining position. The chiseled face is calm, the eyes are closed and the head rests upon one hand. A full 50 feet long, the image is impressive except for one thing: Buddah is sleeping while the world goes by. He is paying no attention to his worshippers. How could he? The “he” is an “it.” It is a thing - not a person. How unlike our God. ‘Attiq Yomin carefully watches over us. He protects and blesses us.

Why Read the Old Testament?

Then Jesus quoted passages from the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said about himself. - Luke 24:27

The coming of the Messiah cancelled the need for ritualistic sacrifices. We no longer have to be concerned about sacrificing lambs, goats and doves. And of course, since we are Gentiles, we do not have to worry about the laws designed to identify the Jews and keep them separate as a people. But is there not yet much to learn from the Old Testament (OT)?

Apparently Jesus thought so. Luke 24:44-46 quotes Jesus as saying, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true.” Then he opened their minds to understand these many Scriptures. And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day.

Jesus used the Old Testament to demonstrate that He was the Messiah and that He had fulfilled all the prophecies. In fact, the use of the OT was so important that He said, “But if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me because he wrote about me. And since you don’t believe what he (Moses) wrote, how will you believe what I say?” (John 5:46-47)

Jesus’ lesson took root among the apostles. Paul made it his custom to visit the synagogues and “interpret the Scriptures” to the people (Acts 17:2-3). If you know your history, you realize that Paul was using the OT to lead people to Christ.

As we read the New Testament, we see that the New Testament (NT) writers constantly appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate the claims of Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior, and the Messiah. In fact, there are so many OT quotations in the NT that it would be impossible to be a serious NT scholar and not have a profound knowledge of the OT. I have been trying to find all the direct quotations of the OT in the NT and have found 266 so far. They can be found in 18 of the 27 books of the NT. There are literally thousands of allusions. Therefore more than 10 per cent of the New Testament text is made up of citations or direct allusions to the Old Testament.

It is true that the Law of Moses cannot save us but the Master Himself said, “So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:19) Based on that advice I plan on gleaning as much as I can out of the first two-thirds of the Bible.

Running Against Horses

Then the Lord replied to me, “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?” – Jeremiah 12:5

I sympathize with Jeremiah. As the pastor of a growing church and a father of five children, I too compete with horses. They are the problems that often try to overwhelm me. I have raced the horse of anxiety. I have strode neck and neck with the horses of loneliness and boredom. The horses of despair and self-pity have trampled me! Well – we won’t even discuss how badly they beat me.

And the problem with these horses is that they don’t all wait to race me in an orderly fashion. No, they all come charging at me simultaneously in one great stampede! When that happens, I’m tempted to simply throw up my hands to hide my eyes and roll into a fetal position. It’s not surprising that many of us fall by the way side. Some people try to cope by using alcohol or recreational drugs. Some throw themselves into various pleasures. But these coping attempts not only do not help in the race, but actually introduce new, fresh horses! How can we compete? How did Jeremiah?

Jeremiah was successful because he had an active, powerful prayer life. His energy source did not come from within himself. Human mental and emotional resources are insufficient for this race. His help did not come from other humans. They were also running their own races and were lucky to survive – much less help him. His help came from above. He had the confidence that he did not race these confounded horses alone. God would lift him up and help him in his struggles. Prayer can provide you with strength, support, power and peace.

Jeremiah was also a winner because he made sure he was doing God’s will. God had called him to be a prophet to a stiff-necked and hard-hearted people. Jeremiah didn’t whine and snivel about the difficulty of the task. He simply did what he was told. God has built within us a perpetual hunger for His will. When we discover and obey it, we are renewed from deep within. I have found that I have lost to the horses whenever I have pursued my own will instead of God’s.

But when we pray - not for our own needs and desires - but with a burning passion to not just know but yield to the will of God, we will “mount up with wings like eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) If you will pray and seek God’s face so that you may know how best to obey Him, the next time you race those horses you will be driving a Ferrari.

The Spider Web

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. – Psalm 18:2

A Christian warrior was separated from his unit during the course of intense fighting. In the smoke and haze of battle, he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock and quickly crawled into one. Although safe for the moment, he realized that the enemy soldiers looking for him would soon sweep up the ridge, searching all the caves. The cave he was hiding in was small and even the most cursory search would lead to his being found and killed. As he waited, he prayed, “Lord, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen.”

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, “Well, I guess the Lord is not going to help me out of this one.” Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. He thought, “What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web.”

God does have a sense of humor though, and as the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout. They searched one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand but to his amazement, after merely glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. “Lord, forgive me,” prayed the young man. “I had forgotten that in you, a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall.”

We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget the victories that God can work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. As the great leader, Nehemiah reminded the people of Israel when they faced the task of rebuilding Jerusalem, “The God of heaven will give us success!” (Nehemiah 2:20). Or, as the Christ once said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

Remember: Whatever is happening in your life, with God, a mere spider’s web can be as good as a brick wall for protection. Believe He is with you always. Just seek Him through Jesus His son, and you will see His great power and love for you.

Prayer in School

"And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper..." Romans 1:28

The real issue of prayer in the public schools is not whether one can or cannot pray at school. If the true nature of prayer is correctly understood, then it would be obvious that one can pray whether or not there is a so-called "moment of silence."

The real issue has to do with the fact that non-Christians do not want to be reminded of God. They prefer to live their life without ever being forced to be God-conscious. The same mentality that would do away with prayers at school, would also seek to remove "In God we trust" from our money as well as remove the Ten Commandments from public buildings. This is the same crowd that recently proposed legislation that would prohibit what they would consider to be "religious harassment" caused by such things as placing a Bible on one's desk in the work place. Such thinking carried to its logical conclusion would make it unlawful for Bibles to be displayed in bookstores and for churches to have any outward religious symbols. God's Word describes such people in the following words: (Ps. 10:4) The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, "There is no God."

According to the infallible word of God, there are certain inevitable consequences that result from a deliberate refusal to acknowledge God. Those who want to deliberately avoid all thoughts of God are given over by Him to a mindset that is described as being depraved. To state it differently, as an act of judgment, God gives them the very thing that they desire; a mind that is destitute of any thought of God. But it doesn't end there. A depraved mind is characterized by a certain kind of behavior. That, too, is described for us in the word of God. "Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful...." (Romans 1:29-31).

Such attitudes and conduct are prevalent in every area of society. The people who founded this nation were a God-conscious people. As society takes the position of no longer wanting to acknowledge God, God has to that same degree give men over to a depraved mind to do what is not proper. May God in His mercy hasten the day when men will awaken to the truth that there is an inseparable link between the due acknowledgement of God and godly behavior.

The Redwood

Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD. – Jeremiah 9:23-24

Deep in the forest, a mighty redwood stood surrounded by lesser trees. Century after century he remained, casting his formidable shadow across the land, watching the other trees come and go with the changing of the seasons.

One day the lesser trees were arguing amongst themselves. They were debating which tree could do the most with the water that came from the sky. One boasted proudly, “I can spread my canopy over fifty feet in a matter of a decade!” Ignoring the fact that in another he would be gone. Another tree arrogantly replied, “Bah! Mere leaves! I can produce delicious fruit!” But all the other trees knew that if rain did not fall in even a single season, that tree would not only fail to produce any fruit, but could die off. One by one, these lesser trees with their shallow root systems continued their debate as to which one was the most useful, the quickest growing or the most beautiful.

Finally, every tree had voiced its opinion except for the venerable redwood. All the trees waited for his reply, but he said nothing. After a day or two of silence (trees are generally more patient folk than we short-lived humans) they prompted him. “Redwood! What about you? What can you do with the rain? What do you make? What do you know?” Redwood smiled a gentle smile and thought of his deep roots that sank down through the earth to the aquifer far beneath him. He answered, “You may boast of your works, and your knowledge of rain but I - I know its source.”

We cannot boast of our intelligence because it was given to us by a fortuitous combination of genes and circumstance. For the same reason, we cannot boast of beauty or strength. There is only one thing of which we can rightfully boast and that is our relationship with the Source. Only in that relationship, only by sinking our life’s tap roots deep into the sustaining water of Jehovah Jireh can we be sure of enduring life’s many difficult circumstances. Our jobs, our accomplishments, our friends and families – all can leave us. And even if it is only for a single season, that could still be enough to bring us under.

But the one who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and ifs leaf does not wither. In whatever he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1)

Moyshin Moyshi

Believe me, friends, all I want for Israel is what’s best for Israel: salvation, nothing less. I want it will all my heart and pray to God for it all the time. Romans 10:1 (The Message)

Do you have a great passion in life? Or, is your life one of those drab, small existences that are meaningless and without purpose? Will your life have an impact on those around you, or will people respond with “Who?” when informed of your death? Many are looking for meaning but are missing the great battle that rages around them. We have become so materialistic that we fail to notice the spirits, angels, demons and forces battling for the souls of men. We blithely stagger through the battlefield, looking neither to the left or the right because our eyes are fixed on our god – mammon, materialism.

Not Paul. He went to the Gentiles when the Church was still predominantly Jewish and hesitant to reach out. He stood up to the great Apostle Peter’s hypocrisy. He braved storms, beatings, imprisonments…once he was stoned and left for dead. He got up from the pile of rocks, brushed himself off, and went right back into the city of the people who had just stoned him. God used him to write over half the New Testament. Where did this power come from? What was the source of his strength? Paul explained, “I considered everything else that I once thought was important as manure. My great and only concern was for the salvation of those around me.” He was so obedient to this vision that at the end of his life he was able to say, “I am free of the blood of all of you.” He had been obedient to the call.

Do you have such a passion for souls? Does it regulate where you work and how you work? Does it change your life patterns? Or, are you one of those who simply eat, work and sleep your life away? The Japanese have a phrase for this kind of person: “Moyshin moyshi.” It literally means they were born blind and they’ll die drunk. Born victims totally unaware of their environment - trivial to history. God does not call us to trivial lives. Jesus told us that he wanted us to have a “real and eternal life, more and better life than (we) ever dreamed of” (John 10:10).

Perhaps your passion need not be the whole world. Perhaps you can start with your family, or your co-workers, or your block or city. It doesn’t mean that you have to personally lead every one of them to Christ. It DOES mean that you pray for them passionately; that you witness when the occasion arises; that you make it possible for others to witness to them. Maybe you could be instrumental in establishing a church or a crusade in your town. But until you awaken that great passion in your heart, you will remain a colorless “moyshin moyshi”.

Prayer Closet

Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace. Mt. 6:6 (The Message)

Many of the great saints actually built a place where they could go to be alone with God. The place was dedicated to the single purpose of prayer and became hallowed ground.

Setting aside a physical location for prayer is advantageous for several reasons. First, you can eliminate all the distractions that could come from simply praying in your living room where the television, the phone and family are. Second, because it becomes your “prayer closet” not only in your mind, but also in the minds of those who love you, then they learn to not disturb you when you are there. Thirdly, the human mind is a strange thing. It learns to associate certain objects or places with activities or feelings. That is why it is not a good habit to try studying on your bed because you will tend to grow sleepy. That is why when you sit down to your desk your mind immediately becomes more business-like. If you have a regular place where you pray, when you go there you will find it easier to get into the “mood” more quickly.

Your prayer closet doesn’t have to be very elaborate. I remember my grandmother sitting on her porch with her apron pulled over her head. The first time I saw her do that, I thought she had lost her mind and I asked her what she was doing. I very quickly learned to not disturb her when she was in this position. She had retired into her “prayer closet”.

Some people have a special stool at which they kneel. It can be a padded bench a few inches off the ground with some kind of back on it so that you can lean your weight against it. I once built a little prayer altar with a little shelf under the top so I could set a Bible or a notebook on it. The top was at an angle so that my arms could rest comfortably on it. Maybe you could dedicate a closet in your house to it. Maybe you could use that tree house that your grown kids no longer use. Maybe you could use a corner of the shed or the garage. You could have a certain bench in the park that could be your place to go. Whatever you use, use it regularly. Use it wisely. Never waste time there. Your time with God is the most precious time you’ll spend. It will make or break your day.

Grit and Determination

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.” Zechariah 12:10

Have you ever seen pictures of the celebration that took place at the end of the Second World War? There were huge parties, ticker tape parades, and dancing in the streets. One picture that always stands out to me is one of a sailor bending a young woman backwards in a deep romantic dip while kissing her.

We always want to go straight to the victory part of the story. We want to skip the long hard waits, the bitter struggles, the hardship and despair. We want to get directly to the feeling of euphoria that comes at the end of the war. What we don’t always realize is that you can’t get that feeling of accomplishment without doing the work. We can’t realize our hidden strengths without first realizing our evident weaknesses and doing something about it.

Watch the Olympic athletes as they mount the podium to receive their medal. Look at their smiles, their tears, their waving arms and clutched rewards. You think they were always that way? Do you think they went from victory to victory until they reached the Olympics? Most of them struggled in financial desperation. Many of them could not afford coaches. They trained hard and long for many years when many people thought they were crazy. All that work is rewarded with a couple of minutes of fame and a little metal disk.

Prayer is hard work. Oftentimes it goes on for years without answers. Sometimes a person you’ve been praying for dies and you’re not sure whether or not your prayers were answered. We sigh and get discouraged. We doubt and despair. But ultimately, there will be a victory. In the end, it will work out and the victory will be that much sweeter because of the long dry spell. Trust God to lead you to victory. Don’t get tired in your daily discipline of prayer. Stick to it even when you don’t feel like it. The difference between an Olympic athlete and an ordinary athlete is often not their skill. The difference lies in their character, their determination and their grit

Eloah - The Only God

Are you defending God (Eloah) by means of lies and dishonest arguments? You should be impartial witnesses, but will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God’s (Eloah’s) case for him? Be careful that he doesn’t find out what you are doing! Or do you think you can fool him as easily as you fool people? No, you will be in serious trouble with him if even in your hearts you slant your testimony in his favor. Doesn’t his majesty strike terror into your heart? Does not your fear of him seize you? Your statements have about as much value as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot. - Job 13:7-12

There is a tendency on the part of many Christians to try to defend God. They read portions of Scripture that make God seem scary or bloody or vengeful and think to themselves, “This does not fit my view of a loving, kind and gracious God. This passage of Scripture must not be truly inspired. It was added by mere men.”

But I would like to introduce you to another name of God – Eloah. It is a name that has been used since around 2200 BC. It is God’s name when He or mankind is trying to emphasize that He is the only God – not merely the God of Israel.

Some trace Eloah to alah ("to terrify") or alih ("to be perplexed, afraid; to seek refuge because of fear"). Eloah and Elohim, therefore, would be "He who is the object of fear or reverence," or "He with whom one who is afraid takes refuge". Contradictory? Not at all. Isn’t the policeman both an object of fear to the criminal and an object of comfort to the law-abiding citizen? We must maintain a balanced view of God.

We must make sure that we do not add to the Scriptures in order to make them more “palatable.” After all, isn’t that the error Eve committed in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3)? For some reason she felt she had to add to God’s word to make it more emphatic. When the serpent (under the inspiration of Lucifer) challenged her on the addition, it of course broke down. She then began to doubt God. But it wasn’t God’s part that broke down, it was hers! We must neither add nor detract from God’s Word (Revelation 22:19-20).

Eloah is simultaneously an object of fear to those who disobey Him and a source of comfort to those who submit to Him. He does not need us to defend Him. He merely requires our testimony to be honest, impartial and complete.

Follow-Through

“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

I once attended a tournament with hundreds of participants. There were large boards identifying the ring you were supposed to report to as well as the name and age of the fighter you were to oppose.

At the ring, I was trying to keep my muscles warm, when a large man walked up to the other side. You see, often people will forfeit the fight if they took too much damage in their last fight, if they’re too tired or if they feel there’s no way to win. This allows you to advance without any physical cost. So, I figured this was the kid's coach coming to forfeit the fight.

When the sensei asked if we were ready, this man said yes. “Whoa! Wait a minute! I’m supposed to be fighting a teenager.” I protested. The “man” said that he was 14! This kid was 14 years old, 6 foot tall and 250 pounds! A reject from a hormone factory! Now I was thoroughly intimidated. When the sensei said “Hajime!” (Begin!), I launched into my best front switch kick and knocked the monstrosity down. I began to celebrate “I’m not hurt! I’m not hurt!” and did not continue the fight on the ground, thinking he was down for the count. When I turned around he had gotten up. I panicked and feinted as though I was going to kick and instead executed a spin back fist. Again he went down, again I celebrated, and again he got up. When that kid finally got hold of me, he threw me every which way but loose. All I remember is flashes of ceiling, flashes of floor, flashes of ceiling, flashes of floor. He destroyed me.

During the entire next year, my coach carried a cane rod that he would apply liberally to my calves every time I threw a punch and failed to throw a combination, or knocked someone down and did not pursue to the ground and finish the fight. The following year I fought like a mad man until the others tapped out and the sensei pulled me off. My coach walked up to me and told me “You lack grace, but you’re plenty mean!”

We often confess sin, make half-hearted attempts to turn from our sin, and are shocked when sin gets us. Confession is great, but it’s only the beginning. Restitution is better, but it is still not enough. We must consistently pursue sin in our life, root it out and destroy it. We must follow through. Find someone who will help us, to whom we can be accountable. Read up on what others have learned and learn their lessons. We must hang out with those who will lift us up and help us, not with those who drag us back into the same old patterns.

Restitution

"And he shall make restitution for the holy thing he has defiled.” Leviticus 5:16

A woman once went to her pastor and confessed to the sin of gossip. “God has forgiven me, hasn’t He? I asked Him to forgive me,” she asked.

“Certainly God has forgiven you,” the pastor assured her, “and you didn’t have to tell me of your sin if you didn’t want to. But in telling me, you can get help to make amends.”

"Make amends? What do you mean?” She asked. “It’s not like I really hurt anyone.”

The pastor asked her to do something for him. He gave her a feather pillow and instructed her to take it to a cliff. Once there, she was to rip it open and shake it vigorously. The woman did as she was told. The next morning she returned.

“Now I want you to go gather up all those feathers,” the pastor said quietly.

The woman gasped at the enormity of the task. “But pastor! That’s impossible! The winds have taken those feathers and blown them all over creation!”

He paused, then asked “What do you think happens to all those little words you whisper about people? Where do you think they all go?”

She hung her head. “All over creation,” she whispered.

We may be quick to say “Sorry” when we do wrong. But we should be quicker to make amends. Speech is practically worthless if not accompanied by appropriate action.

A pastor and a soap maker went for a walk together. The soap maker said, “What good is religion? Look at all the trouble and misery of the world! Still there, even after years – thousands of years – of teaching about goodness and truth and peace. Still there, after all the prayers and sermons and teachings. If religion is good and true, why should this be?”

The pastor said nothing. They continued walking until he noticed a child playing in the gutter. Then the pastor said, “Look at that child. You say that soap makes people clean, but see the dirt on that youngster? Of what good is soap? With all the soap in the world, over all these years, the child is still filthy. I wonder how effective soap is, after all!”

The soap maker protested. “But, Pastor, soap cannot do any good unless it is used!”

"Exactly!” replied the Pastor.

What good is our apology if it is not accompanied by appropriate action? How is the person to know we really mean what we say? They cannot judge us on our words alone for they cannot read our hearts to determine our sincerity. The only thing that is truly meaningful to the other person is action. Remember Zacchaeus? What was his response after his encounter with Christ? “If I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

Only then did Christ respond, “Salvation has come to this home today…”

Zombie Grave Diggers

And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." - Luke 9:59-62

Why wouldn’t Jesus allow a man to bury his own father? Aren’t we supposed to honor our fathers and mothers? Why wouldn’t he allow someone to simply say goodbye? Aren’t we allowed to love and show common courtesy?

In another place (Luke 14), Jesus used the parable of the Great Supper to illustrate the problem. People who were invited to the banquet began making lame excuses. None of their reasons were reasonable. But in today’s passage, the excuses are a little better. They seem at first glance to make sense.

Jesus doesn’t have a problem with people taking care of their families. Didn’t he heal Jairus’ daughter? Wasn’t He willing to go to the Roman officer’s house to heal even the officer’s beloved slave? The problem was that these every day, legitimate responsibilities were being used as excuses.

We pray, “I will serve you, just let me get out of debt first.” But we keep charging on our credit cards. We say, “I’ll forgive that person, but let me first feel like it so I won’t be hypocritical.” But we leave the root of bitterness in our hearts. Getting debt free is good. But why can’t you serve while you’re working on it? Your feelings should match your righteous actions. But you should go ahead and do what’s right while you’re waiting on your feelings to catch up. Filial duty is honorable. But that shouldn’t stop you from serving the Lord. Let me share with you a timeless and profound truth. Honor’s commands never conflict. If at first glance something God has told you to do seems to conflict with another command, take a second look. Somehow – some way – they can both be done.

Child of God, you are alive with purpose. Jesus came to give you life and that more abundantly (John 10:10). You have a charge - a mission in life. Focus on what really matters. “Seek first the Kingdom of God…” The unsaved are spiritual zombies. They only seem to be alive (Rev. 3:1). They stagger through their lives without realizing the true import of their actions. They lurch from selfish desire to selfish desire. They look through dull zombie eyes that see only the dim reflection of truth. Let them be concerned with the world’s affairs. Make your highest priority be to follow the Master. Let the spiritually dead busy themselves with zombie affairs.

What the Blind Man Heard

For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. – Matthew 12:34b-35

A blind man once sat in a very popular park. He loved to sit there and listen to all the activities in the beautiful place. One day, there was a sudden influx of noise as though a great crowd was gathering. He overheard some people say, “Oh, the food is delicious! I’m stuffed! This is the best I’ve eaten in a while!”

The blind man thought to himself, “A great banquet must be going on!”

Then he heard some of the folks exclaiming, “Oh, there are our friends! Isn’t that Uncle Harry? Let’s go dancing!”

And the blind man thought to himself, “This must be a party!”

But then he heard expressions of love and commitment. He heard sacred words being spoken and heard the quiet hush of reverence as vows were spoken. “Ah!” He thought to himself, “This is a wedding!”

What do people hear when they’re around you? Would people be able to guess that you are wedded to the Son of God? Do they hear words of love and commitment falling from your lips? Is there a quiet hush of reverence in your spirit?

The Master told us that our words, our conversation, reveals the condition of our heart. “A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37)

The Teacher agreed, saying, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person.” (Proverbs 27:19) and “Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure and right.” (Proverbs 20:11)

If I were to set a cup in front of you, jostled it and coffee sloshed out, what would you assume is in the cup? Coffee, of course! It’s elementary logic. What sloshes out of our mouths when we are jostled reveals the condition of our hearts.

If the blind man were near you today, what would he think?

Righteous Walls

I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30

God is a little like the Marine Corps. He’s looking for a few good prayer warriors. He is holding back His judgment on a land filled with abominations, hoping that someone will show up to make a difference. He longs to bless. He desires to protect. His only hope is to love. But we force His hand to strike when we continue sinning. God is love – but He’s also just.

Do you whine and complain about the social injustices you see? Do you think that abortion is wrong? Do you have strong feelings about the onslaught of a vocal minority against prayer in schools? Do you hate racial prejudice? That’s good! You should! But you must do more than complain. You must pray. God is looking for someone to rebuild the walls of righteousness. Some people decry the walls that are put up by moral people. They call us phobic or unloving. But walls are a necessary part of protection. Strong walls will keep your children safe from those who would harm them. Strong walls allow you to sleep easy at night. The walls that righteousness builds will protect you and yours when the Devil’s attacks grow strong.

The foundation of these walls is prayer. Talk to God about your concerns. Ask Him for the wisdom to know what to do. Ask Him if you should do anything. Just because you are concerned doesn’t necessarily make you the one who should take charge and do something drastic about the situation. Not everybody is gifted the same way. Maybe your role is to support someone else who is a stronger, more charismatic leader. But don’t let your lack of leadership skills become an excuse to do nothing. Ultimately, it is not you who makes the difference. It is God in you. The weaker you are, the greater the skills of the Master Carpenter are shown. Remember, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”

You cannot build righteous walls without prayer. You cannot tap those hidden strengths without prayer. You cannot develop reliance on God without prayer. You cannot know His will without prayer. Prayer is central to the health and welfare of our land. Are you building?

The Ride

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

By all accounts I’ve lived a pretty full life. I’ve seen fourteen different countries, been through war, been held prisoner, worked on the docks, in a kennel, in logging, been a carpenter, served in the Marines, fought professionally in full contact mixed martial arts, bungee jumped, parachuted, parasailed, rappelled…I’ve adopted five kids, worked with gangs, had a street kids ministry, taught in a parochial school, and presently pastor a thriving rural church.

I’ve gone looking for Trouble, found him and beat him up. Then I went out with his sister and charmed his mom into liking me. I have consistently tried to do four different things at once (even though I barely have enough brain cells for two). And you know what? I think that’s the Christian Way.

We’ve developed this milk toast view of Christianity as being lukewarm, pale and flabby when our Master was a hard muscled, calloused tough who threw people out of public buildings because He thought they were wrong. Our God drowned the entire human population (save for a couple families that escaped on a floating barn), sent fire down from heaven sufficiently hot to burn stone and evaporate water, and promises to come back with a rod of iron – and we quail to admit we’re Christians to our co-workers.

Where do we get this weak-kneed attitude? Certainly not from Solomon who told us to do whatever comes with all our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10) and to never be idle because we don’t know what lies ahead (Ecclesiastes 11:6). I know it wasn’t Paul’s view when he specifically told us to never lag behind in diligence but to be “fervent in spirit.” This phrase means to be passionate. This from the guy who rose from a pile of stones where he’d been left for dead to walk straight back into the city that had just stoned him! He commanded us to do everything “heartily” (Colossians 3:23). Our Master warned us Christians that if we were lukewarm, He’d spit us out! (Revelation 3:16). We need to decide once and for all who we fear more: men who can only kill our bodies or God who can kill our bodies AND our souls! Then we need to live like it.

A parishioner recently sent me the following statement that pretty much sums it up. “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming, ‘Wow, what a ride!!!!’” And all God’s people say…Amen! Enjoy the ride.

Listening for God

Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings. - Proverbs 1:20-21

An old tzaddik was known to meditate under a beautiful tree in the woods. A young man, seeking to become a righteous man himself, approached the tzaddik one day and asked him, “Tell me sir, why meditate here instead of in the church or at home?”

The elder answered, “I am listening to the voice of God.” Then he invited the young disciple to sit by him. “Come. Sit. Listen.”

So the young man sat and listened. At first he heard nothing. But then, in the sound of the wind and the rustling of the branches his heart began to hear the whisperings of God’s desire to bring peace to a troubled earth. He began to understand the songs of the birds as they sang of God’s great joy when his prodigal children returned to Him. Day after day he learned as he sat and listened next to the old holy man.

But one day the tzaddik was not in his usual place. In fact, he was not there for several days. So his disciple went looking for him. After weeks of searching he found his mentor meditating near a busy intersection in the middle of a large city.

The disciple was confused. “Tell me sir, why meditate here instead of under the beautiful tree in the woods?”

The elder answered, “I am listening to the voice of God.” Then he invited the young disciple to sit by him. “Come. Sit. Listen.”

So the young man sat and listened. At first he heard nothing but the cacophony of modern life. But soon he began hearing the babble of many voices and understood that the Father enjoyed hearing his many children in His house, playing, talking, telling stories and planning bright futures. He listened to the traffic and knew that Elohim was watching over all those people simultaneously, not allowing any more trouble into their lives than was absolutely necessary to draw them to Him.

How busy God is! How vast His interests yet how intimate His care! God is everywhere simultaneously and knowledge of Him can be found anywhere we look. But in order to hear God’s Wisdom, we must be quiet. We must be still. We must listen.

John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

We complain to God but we rarely listen to God’s complaints. We tell God that we love Him but we fail to hear Him telling us He loves us! We listen so rarely that we may not even recognize His voice when we hear it!

Listen for the voice of God. Seek His face and know Him. Lay aside your many wants, your multitude of desires and needs and for once simply listen.

Now and Then

Now all of us…may come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. – Ep. 2:18

“Now all of us” – what a tremendous phrase! There was a time when it was only the Jews. God chose them out of all the nations on the earth to receive His literal and incarnate Word. Why them? It couldn’t have been because of their tremendous faith. Their history is rife with doubt. It couldn’t have been because of their good attitudes. Moses, the most humble man on earth (according to God who should know these things) couldn’t hack their bad attitudes. For some unfathomable reason, God looked on earth and chose this backwater, hillbilly bunch of nobodies and turned them into an historical force to be reckoned with. They had nothing to offer and they were ungrateful for the opportunity.

The Lord sent prophet after prophet. He had men pen the Old Covenant under the inspiration of His Holy Spirit. They killed the prophets and lost the Scriptures. God decided to take matters up a notch and showed up Himself. They killed him. But God has a remarkable way of turning the worst things into miracles of hope. He resurrected from the dead and (perhaps an even greater miracle) still loved the ones who had killed Him.

“Now” – as opposed to “then”, seems to imply a change. Boy! Have things changed! Since Israel rejected the kingdom offer, instead of packing up and going home like the rest of us would, God decided to love even more magnanimously. He offered the kingdom to EVERYONE – Jewish or not. He turned the whole planet into his chosen people.

Are we grateful? Do we accept his offer with open arms and humble hearts? Of course not. Many of us still reject Him and grumble about how hard it is to give up our pleasures in life. God loves us in spite of us. We are no different than the Israelites. We are no less hard-hearted and stiff-necked.

But to those of us who do accept Him comes the sweetest of gifts – the Holy Spirit Himself. He loves us so much, so intimately, that He offers to take up residence permanently in our hearts. This gives us a hotline direct to God the Father. When we pray, we don’t have to go through priests or saints or Jesus’ mother; He gave us His direct number. We can call on the Sovereign Lord of the Universe at any time, anywhere about anything. But the question is…do you take advantage of it? Do you know of any human that has loved you so much? Name someone who has done more for you. Look around and find someone who has been more unselfish in their love. Until you do, why not enjoy your relationship with God? Drop Him a line sometime. Say thanks every once in a while. Share your thoughts and feelings. I guarantee you’ll get a receptive audience.

God Beside Me

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 16:8

Is this verse a reality in your life? When someone is right beside you, don’t you tend to think about them more? Don’t you address them in conversation? How often have you addressed the Lord in the last hour? How prominent has He been in your thoughts?

Some of the best times I have spent with the Lord have not been in a church. I have felt His presence while sitting high in a pine tree, listening to the wind sigh in the needles, feeling it sway from side to side, smelling the sharp odor of its sap. He has comforted me in the field while I was covered in camouflage paint and crawling around trying to not be seen by the enemy. He stood by me as I looked down on my dead grandfather’s face.

Get out of your prayer rut. Pray prostrate, kneeling, seated at a table and taking notes, and pray driving your car. A rut is just a grave with the ends knocked out. Prayer ruts will be the death of your relationship with God.

Use your imagination: picture the Lord on a throne in a mighty room. See the angels, smell the incense burning. When you are truly THERE, not just here thinking of THERE but truly THERE begin praying. You will see a tremendous difference.

Change your time of prayer. Don’t allow your metabolism to rule your spirit. Set your alarm and get up in the middle of the night to pray. You’d be amazed at how much serious prayer can be done at two in the morning. No one else is up, there are no phone calls from telemarketers, it’s just you and Him.

When you’re standing in line, whether at the bank or the movie theater, why not take the opportunity to pray for the people around you? Better yet, turn to the person behind you and tell them “Hi, I’m a Christian and I’m about to pray. Is there something that I can pray about for you while I’m at it?” You may think that sounds crazy, but a surprising number of people will respond with acceptance and gratitude. I’ve seen people begin crying.

Some have wanted to hold my hand while I pray. I’ve even held hands with some big tough guys. We’ve developed a society where touching is taboo and as a consequence, people are starved for human contact. Oh, they get sexual contact all the time, but true love? Love without the burden of sexuality? That’s almost a lost art.

Try blessing people. Look at them and silently or verbally bless them. Lay your hands on their head and pass on the blessing that God gave to you for them. When you do, people will discover God is standing before them or beside them – and He will have your face.

The Monk

“I, the Son of Man, am master even of the Sabbath.” Mt. 12:8

There once was an old Japanese monk who lived simply and tried to follow his orders’ rules as best he could. He had an acolyte that followed him everywhere, trying to absorb the old man’s wisdom so that he too could one day become a monk.

One day, they were traveling to a distant city. As they approached a river, they discovered that the little footbridge had been washed away in a storm. The river could be forded, but there was no to cross and stay dry. Standing on the bank of the river was a young geisha who was afraid to cross. The old monk spoke to her for a minute then volunteered to carry her across. The acolyte was horrified. Their order taught that a monk should avoid women. They generally did not even speak to women, much less touch one. The old man crouched, allowed the young woman to get on his back and then carried her across the river. Once on the other side, she hopped off, the monk waved cheerily to her, and set off once again at a brisk pace.

All this time the young apprentice had not spoken a word. However, as they continued to walk in silence, he finally could restrain himself no longer. “Master, how could you bring yourself to touch that woman?” he asked. “Surely that is beneath your dignity, and you are now unclean!”
The old monk looked at his young apprentice in surprise. “Child, I put that woman down hours ago, why are you still carrying her?”

We often get so caught up in our own little lists of rules and dogma, that we forget their original intent. We are practicing rules for which we have no reason. One Sabbath day, as Jesus was walking through some fields of grain, his followers began to pick grain to eat. The Pharisees said to Jesus, “Why are your followers doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath day?”

Jesus responded with an example from the Old Testament where David had eaten bread that was normally only eaten by priests, and was not been condemned by God. Later, he went into a synagogue, and a man with a crippled hand was there. Some people watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day so that they could accuse him of breaking their religious rules. Jesus asked the people, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath day: to do well or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” They said nothing to answer him. The Scriptures say Jesus was angry as he looked at the people, and he felt very sad because they were stubborn. Then he healed the man. Let’s determine to not get so entrapped by the letter of the law that we neglect its spirit.

I Love You

You are my God. I worship you. In my heart, I long for you, as I would long for a stream in a scorching desert. I have seen your power and your glory in the place of worship. You love means more than life to me, and I praise you. – Psalm 63:1-3

“I love you.” We think of our first grade school crush. We demonstrate it by punching her or pulling her pony tail if we’re male. If we’re female we ignore him or call him names.

“I love you.” We tell our lover as we show them the ring. In our search for their hearts we seek first their hands then their lips.

“I love you.” We tell our spouse. But it has become a different thing now. It is more mature, calmer. It is dedicated to the long-haul. We show our love by working and bringing home a paycheck; by helping with the chores and by putting up with each other’s mood swings.

“I love you.” We say to our children and then prove it by feeding them, clothing them, teaching them a way of life and playing with them.

“I love you.” We tell our parents. And we demonstrate our love by caring for them in their old age. We gently remind them of their appointments and pills; we bring the kids to them to enjoy while warning the kids, “be gentle!”

“I love you.” Said our heavenly Father, and demonstrated His love by creating light, land, water, dolphins and dogs.

“I love you.” Jesus said and shed His deity to become a mortal man. He exchanged immortality for mortality; Lordship for servanthood; glory for poverty; power for service. And then He died…for us.

“I love you.” The Holy Spirit whispered and raised the dead body of Christ from the cold tomb. The Spirit reentered the flesh of the Messiah and enabled Him to overcome Death. He then entered the spirits of those who believed and granted them the power to become the sons of God.

“I love you.” We now say to the world. We exult in our passion for life. We yearn to demonstrate our inner state to all of humanity. And so we begin…

we remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly
we free those who are abused,
we share our food with everyone who is hungry,
we share our homes with the poor and homeless,
we give clothes to those in need,
we care for our families,
we remain steadfastly honest and kind,
we rebuild those houses left in ruins for years,
we become known as builders and repairers,
we keep ourselves pure and spotless,
we help needy orphans and widows,
we see that justice is done,
we let mercy be our first concern,
we overcome evil with good,
we humbly obey our God.